A large number of roof rack devices are actually known to be used on the roofs of motor vehicles such as ski racks, simple support bars, etc. which are disposed on the roof of an automobile whereby the legs of these devices engage the rain gutter of the roof of the car in order to maintain the device in its position on the roof of the car. Other systems are also know which are specially conceived for utilization on the roof of cars which do not have rain gutters, whereby these support racks comprise generally support legs which abut on the roof of the car as well as independent fixation means which snugly fit into the profile of the opening of the car door.
All the support devices which are actually known require the mounting of different components on top of the roof of the car and a rigid fixation thereof in their definite position before one may fix the load on these racks. This, of course, requires that the load must be positioned and fixed on the support device only after the definite installation of the rack on top of the roof of the car, which causes an inconveniency, in particular for small or medium size persons because a certain number of manipulations for the positioning and the fixation of the load, luggages, skis, bicycles etc. on said support rack has to be carried out in a position which is not easily accessible.
This inconvenience implies further the danger that certain manipulations for the fixation may be uncompletely executed which may result in a liberation of the load during the travel of the car and in the worst case the load could be completely liberated and cause an accident.
A luggage rack has been proposed which comprises a mechanism that permits lowering the fixation elements of this device laterally of the car in order to more easily access the fixation elements. This downwards movement is effectuated by pivoting certain levers which results, however, also in a pivoting movement of the load.
The device according to this Swiss patent requires the mounting of the load on the lowered portions of the support rack in a pivoted position and on a non-horizontal surface, which is of course an important inconvenience and which renders the various manipulations rather difficult.